Reborn in Flames

by The Goal of All Life

I hadn't been overly special in my first life. When I'd died, I'd expected nothingness - oblivion. Instead, I rose again with the powers of a phoenix in a world of magic, monsters, and all-powerful Dragon Gods. If I wanted to avoid dying again, I would have to use everything at my disposal.(Riser-SI. I do not own Highschool DXD or any other established property.)

15. Chapter 15

"This place is awesome! All you need is to add a jacuzzi and it will be perfect!" Ravel said, a bubbly, excited energy about her as she sat down at the table for tea. She was wearing a red gown. Her hair was styled into two drills that fell down either side of her body, reaching to just past her waist.

"A jacuzzi?" I said, sitting down at the table. "I…I honestly haven't thought to make any improvements like that. I've been a little busy."

Ruval snorted as he sat down next to Ravel, Zissa sitting uncertainly next to him after an inviting motion from me. "'Busy' he says. You've done more in less than a year than most accomplish in a century, little brother. You need to slow down. You're starting to make me look lazy."

It had been a little over two weeks since my peerage had faced Seekvaira's. My peerage was enjoying the break from Rating Games and all other crazy events. It seemed like we'd been constantly running around like chickens with our head's cut off. In addition to giving Arondight time to adjust to her new body and her place in the peerage, the break was therapeutic for everyone.

With nothing else to do, I'd invited Ruval and Zissa to my home for the tour he'd requested. He brought Ravel along when she wouldn't stop pestering him, but I wasn't complaining. I hadn't had a chance to see her in quite a while.

"It wouldn't be too hard to hire a contractor." Ravel said, still focused on the idea of getting a jacuzzi installed in my home. "It's not like you don't have space for it either. There were a few empty rooms you could convert if you didn't want to spare the space outside."

I chuckled as I said, "I'll think about it."

I hadn't seen Ravel since I'd been banished. As much as I missed her energy, it felt like she was trying to make up for lost time by throwing crazy ideas out left and right. According to her, the balcony needed to be extended and get a new railing, the grounds around my manor needed a hedge maze, I needed to add a water feature to the walkway up to the house and I needed a jacuzzi. There'd likely be at least one or two other tweaks before the day was out.

"So how have things been?" I said, not directing the question at anyone specific.

Ruval's smile grew strained as Ravel huffed, crossing her arms.

My sister threw her head back in her chair dramatically and said, "Completely and utterly boring. Mother and Father haven't let me do anything since you left. With Clarissa gone, the only effective teacher at home is Zissa, but she spends all her time with Ruval. How am I supposed to become a powerful devil if no one will teach me?"

Ruval seemed to sag in relief as he said, "I am sorry, Ravel. I require Zissa's counsel constantly. I don't know how I'd function without her."

Ravel sat up straight, narrowing her eyes at Ruval. "Zissa isn't the only woman in your peerage willing to suck your dick. Could you fuck someone else for a change and let me become absurdly powerful?"

It was exceedingly difficult for me to bite my tongue and keep from laughing like a lunatic at Ruval's wide-eyed shock and Zissa's rapidly growing blush. "I'm sure Ruval isn't keeping Zissa from you out of spite. He and Zissa have important work they need to do." I said, shooting a grin at my uncomfortable older brother. "If it's just a teacher you want, why didn't you ask me? Clarissa is in my peerage, afterall. I'm sure she would be overjoyed to instruct you."

Ravel's eyes lit up as she turned to me. "That's great! I'll be here every weekday at noon. Clarissa can prepare whatever lessons she wants. I just want to get stronger. Oh! You'll need to key me to the wards so I can come and go as I please. I had to tag along with Ruval this time, but I can't be bothering him and Zissa during their 'important work' every time I need to come here." she finished, a pleased expression on her face.

Now it was Ruval's turn to try to hold in his laughter as Ravel steam-rolled over me.

I turned to him and said, "I just got played, didn't I?"

Ruval smirked. "Yes. Yes you did, Riser."

Sighing, I held up a hand and an orange glow passed over Ravel. "You're keyed to the wards now. Keep in mind, we need to run this by Clarissa. I'm not going to force her into anything, and there will likely be times I need her during your…We'll discuss a better schedule at another time." It was only just occuring to me that Ravel hadn't specified when she would be leaving on weekdays. What had I just gotten myself into?

The door to the dining room opened and Yubelluna and Clarissa walked in with trays. Yubelluna carried snacks and Clarissa had refreshments.

"Clarissa!" Ravel said as she saw the woman enter, her face lighting up. "Would you be willing to teach me like you taught Riser? I'll be a much better student than he ever was!"

Clarissa looked at me questioningly as she set the cup before everyone.

I shrugged. "I told her I was open to it so long as you were. Don't feel pressured to–"

"I would be delighted." Clarissa said, a rare smile making its way onto her face as she looked at Ravel. "If you would like, I can show you where we would be meeting and outline a lesson plan?"

Ravel practically exploded out of her chair. "Yes! Let's go now!"

Clarissa's smile grew even wider as she took Ravel's hand and led her off towards her lab, asking how she'd been as the door closed behind them.

Having watched the events closely, I turned to Yubelluna and said, "Is she doing okay?"

Yubelluna sat down next to me, having finished serving everyone. "She tries not to let it show, but she still bears a weight that was not there before Lady Phenex traded her. I have tried to discuss it with her, but she has always deflected. Teaching Ravel will be good for her. I believe she was looking forward to the opportunity before she was traded and will be glad to have it again."

I pursed my lips as I looked at the door Clarissa and Ravel had just closed behind them. "Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"I will – though I imagine letting her spend time with Ravel will be enough."

Remembering we weren't alone, I turned back to Ruval with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to–"

"Don't worry about it." he easily waved my apology away, picking up the spoon next to his soup bowl. "I'm glad she's doing well. I didn't spend nearly as much time with her as you did, but she was the most tolerable of mother and father's peerages by far."

The four of us began to eat our soup, something with garlic in it and brown broth. I'd never been a food aficionado. All I really knew was that the meal tasted good.

"So…" I started, looking seriously at Ruval. "What were you afraid Ravel was going to talk about earlier?"

Ruval's shoulders slumped. "You noticed that, did you?"

"I did."

With a sigh, he put his spoon down and looked me in the eye. "This is the first time mother and father have…sanctioned a meeting with you. They want to take advantage of all the attention and goodwill you accumulated during the fight to–"

"Make me a Phenex again." I said, not at all surprised.

After I was banished, I took a good look at the interactions I had with the Phenexes. When I wasn't looking at my interactions through rose-tinted glasses, it became clear they saw I had potential to elevate the Phenex name. They didn't care about me so much as they did what I represented. It was why they absolutely adored Ruval. He was hailed throughout the Underworld as one of the top thirty strongest devils in our entire race as well as the Top Ten in Rating Games. That notoriety elevated the Phenex name. Now that I was a King with Arondight, Lancelot's legendary sword, and a Longinus Sacred Gear possessed by Dracula's descendant in my peerage, my name held a lot more weight than it did even a month ago. They wanted that weight added to the Phenex name.

Ruval shrugged. "That's about the long and short of it. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I have some advice if you'd like?"

"I'm not going to turn it down."

Ruval met my gaze and said, "Rejoin the family." When he saw I was waiting for him to continue, he said, "You've built yourself up spectacularly, but even so, you won't be able to survive the direct attention of even the lowest Pillar. If you become a Phenex again, it'll protect you from everyone who will inevitably come after you to try to steal Arondight or Valerie from you. I wouldn't be surprised if there are many willing to kill you to take either of them – Yubelluna too to a lesser extent. Use the Phenex name as a shield. You won't even have to live at the Phenex Estate if you don't want to." He motioned around us. "This home and land are yours, and they'll stay that way if you rejoin the family. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you or your peerage, Riser. I don't see any good alternatives to this or I'd say to explore those first."

I looked at Yubelluna. I raised an eyebrow questioningly, and she nodded almost imperceptibly. A scroll of paper appeared in my hand in a burst of flame. I tossed it across the table to Ruval who caught it, raising a questioning eyebrow at my dramatics.

Ruval unrolled the scroll and held it to his side, allowing Zissa to read it at the same time as him. Their eyes grew wider as their eyes flicked across the words scrawled over the paper. Ruval's expression turned calculating. Zissa's features were painted in shock.

Ruval carefully rolled the scroll back up and gently tossed Seekvaira's marriage contract back to me, a proud grin on his face. "You little casanova. I…I don't even know what to say."

"Riser, if I may?" Zissa said, the shock bleeding off her face, a cold calculation taking its place.

"Please." I said.

"I would ask both of you to listen to my proposal before responding. I understand it will not sound good at first, but listen to the end." Zissa said, looking between me and Ruval.

My brother and I shared a questioning look before we both nodded to Zissa.

"What are you thinking, Zissa?" Ruval said, leaning forward curiously.

"Riser needs to publicly humiliate your mother and father, Ruval." Zissa said, meeting Ruval's gaze. "Whether it be by openly refusing to rejoin the Phenexes or through different means does not matter." Turning to me, she said, "You need to incite their rage. Force them to burn all bridges with you and turn hostile towards you in public. Do not tell anyone about the contract until Lady Agares announces it herself. Lord and Lady Phenex will have made an enemy of the Agares heiress and therefore the entire Pillar. The only way for the Phenex family to recover from this misstep–"

"Would be to appoint a new lord." Ruval finished, rubbing his chin with a considering expression. "If I'm not mistaken Zissa, you're supposed to be loyal to the Phenexes." he said, faint amusement coloring his tone.

"I am loyal to you, Ruval." Zissa said, fixing him with a serious gaze. "Do not think your parent's growing mistreatment of you has escaped my notice."

"What mistreatment?" I said, my eyes shooting to Ruval. This was the first I was hearing of anything like this.

Ruval waved my concern away. "A slew of minor annoyances that have only recently grown into actual problems. I'm handling it. It's nothing you need to be concerned with."

I was a little skeptical of that, but it was clear he wasn't going to say anything else on the matter.

Zissa turned back to me, her expression deadly serious. "Anyone who has been paying attention to your position will know Ruval has stood by you through it all. Raycal has all but forgotten you exist and Ravel is far too young. To maintain cordial relations with the Agares Pillar, and to become close allies, Ruval is the only option to take over the Phenex Pillar."

I looked at Yubelluna. "What do you think?"

My queen was silent for a moment as she studied Zissa, Ruval's queen meeting her gaze without flinching. "The idea has merit, Riser. I am partial to her proposal if for no other reason than to disparage your parents, but, should everything go well, the Phenex Pillar and the Agares Pillar will become close allies – a position that will strengthen both. I am, however, curious as to what Zissa will receive from this."

"She'll be Lady Phenex." Ruval said before Zissa could speak for herself. "We've already discussed this. When I become lord, I will release her from her position as my queen and marry her. She comes from a Pillar family; few will protest her being at the head of a Pillar as a result." Ruval looked sidelong at Zissa, grinning as he said, "The fact that this plan speeds that process along by a few hundred years is merely a bonus." Ruval turned to me and his expression turned dead serious. "My initial judgment is that this would be you…our best course of action. It protects you, empowers your future house and removes our parents from power all at the same time."

I narrowed my eyes slightly at Ruval. "And I would assume that you're behind this plan out of care for your little brother?" I loved and trusted Ruval, but we were devils. I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I didn't ask.

Ruval barked out a short laugh. "Allow me to be transparent, Riser. I was not aware of heiress Agares's proposal, so this course had not occurred to me, and now that I am thinking about it, my ambition has been kicked into overdrive. I have been biding my time until I became Lord Phenex for decades. This plan will let me ascend to Head of the Phenex Pillar now. I will not lie to your face and say that doesn't entice me, but neither will I go through with it without your approval. Not only will it not work without you, but I do care about you, little brother. That is why the plan is so perfect. It is exceedingly rare that Pillars are joined through legitimate affection and need not prepare for the inevitable betrayal of the other. The Agares Pillar and the Phenex Pillar could become eternal allies. Your children could be raised playing and training with their cousins, spending their weekend's being spoiled by their amazing uncle at Phenex Castle." Ruval said, the image in his mind causing a fond smile to dance across his face.

I pinched my chin as I thought it over. On paper, the idea was wonderful. Surprisingly, the least interesting reason to follow Zissa's plan was to screw over Lord and Lady Phenex. It would unite two strong Pillars and I'd finally be able to repay my brother for standing by me. He'd risked everything to cover my back while I was preparing to meet with Serafall. It was likely Seekvaira's fear of me being kidnapped to produce Phenex Tears may have transpired without Ruval's intervention. With all of that said…

"I'm still not decided on whether or not to accept the marriage, and even if I were, I wouldn't be able to agree to this without Seekvaira approving it first. I won't betray her trust before we're even betrothed."

Ruval looked at me strangely as he said, "What exactly are you still considering, Riser? Anyone who watched the start of your duel with Seekvaira in the Rating Game could feel the sexual tension between the two of you. You aren't displeased with her very existence like you were and still are with Rias. So what's the problem?"

"Me." Yubelluna said exasperated. "The problem is me."

I turned to her and held my hands up. "Yube, that's not–"

"Riser, I know you better than anyone – present company included." Yubelluna cut me off, turning in her chair to face me fully. "You've been nervously carrying that contract with you through the entire manor since Seekvaira gave it to you. Every time you realized I was in the room with you it would mysteriously disappear. You feel guilty that you want to accept her proposal while you have me."

"Yube, that's not–" I started to say, very uncomfortable with how spot-on she was.

"Riser, stop talking and listen." Yubelluna cut me off again, taking my hands in hers. "I love you." My heart rate accelerated to the rhythm of a hummingbird's, but Yubelluna continued talking before I could say anything. "I have loved you for years. As I said when Seekvaira initially proposed the contract to you, I have always known I would not have you to myself. I have also known it to be likely that I will not be the foremost among your future partners. I am okay with that. I know you will never leave me behind, and I will be happy so long as that remains true. I cannot give you what Seekvaira can. You will always have everything I am, but that is not enough to secure your future. Seekvaira's offer is genuine and will secure our entire peerage's future. If I disapproved of her, I would have done everything I could to dismantle the engagement or eliminate her." Her expression was as unmoving as stone as she said that. "But she is genuine. I do not believe she loves you yet. She has spent too little time with you to love you, but her affection is real, and that affection will grow into love. If I am to step aside so another may become your foremost partner, I would accept no less than Seekvaira. It is my professional recommendation as your queen to summon Seekvaira right now and accept her proposal. We will be able to discuss Zissa's plan with her once the proposal is signed."

I swallowed nervously, fighting hard to keep my composure in check. "Yube…I–"

Yubelluna cut me off again as she kissed me. Her hand wrapped around the back of my neck and gently guided me into her lips.

I melted into the kiss, enjoying every moment. I only pulled away when Ruval wolf-whistled from across the table.

"Yube, Ruval's right–"

"You are the King of this peerage and therefore make the rules for this peerage." Yubelluna said, a playful smirk on her face. "And you have declared that I am permitted to act however I wish to in front of your brother."

I couldn't help the smile that pulled at the corners of my lips. "You cheeky little–"

Yubelluna kissed me again, leaning over her chair to press her chest into mine. I ignored Ruval's whistling and laughter as I pulled her close and basked in the feel of her against me. Even with our devilish endurance, we did eventually have to separate for air. Both of us were glowing as we pulled apart, our hands still clasped together.

"So…are you calling your fiance?" Ruval said, a wide grin on his face. Zissa was smiling warmly at the display next to him.

I looked back at Yubelluna.

She nodded and gave my hand a little squeeze.

Turning back to Ruval, I said, "I guess so. Would you and Zissa mind hanging out for a little bit?"

Ruval leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head as he said, "I've got nowhere to be."

X

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." I said with a bowed head as Yubelluna and I held the doors to the manor open for Seekvaira and Alivian. Yubelluna had hand-delivered a letter to a guard at the gate of the Agares Estate requesting Seekvaira meet me at my manor. Less than an hour later, I briefly lowered the wards to allow her to teleport in. Unlike the last time she was here, she'd only brought Alivian.

"Think nothing of it." Seekvaira said, returning my bow as she entered my home. "I would assume the sudden communication means you have come to a decision?" Her hands were clasped in front of her. Were this the first time I'd seen her, I likely wouldn't have noticed the very subtle way her thumb rubbed against her opposing palm. She was nervous, but doing very well to hide it.

"I have." I said, leading her and Alivian into a small receiving area and motioning for them to sit. "But before that, I have something I want to discuss."

Seekvaira sat across from me, Alivian walking around to stand behind her as Yubelluna mirrored his motion to stand at my own back.

"Of course. What did you wish to talk about?" Seekvaira said easily, interlacing her fingers, applying a little too much pressure to her hands.

"Forgive me," I said, noticing the nervous tick. "I'm not trying to draw this out. My answer is yes. I have decided to accept your proposal and marry you."

Seekvaira exhaled, tension bleeding from her body as her expression lit up. "That is wonderful."

I held up a hand to forestall anything else she wanted to say. "I have one condition. It is non negotiable."

Seekvaira schooled her expression, meeting my gaze. "Name it."

"You said you would accept my taking multiple wives so long as I gave you a say in who. Consider this your chance to have a say in the matter. In order for me to accept your proposal, I must be allowed to marry Yubelluna. I do not need to marry her before you, but I–"

"Done." Seekvaira said immediately. "I had honestly believed that to be a given." Seekvaira's eyes traveled slowly up and down Yubelluna. "She is loyal and fiercely protective of you. If she is open to it, I would even propose we open our relationship to her."

"Perhaps in the future, my lady." Yubelluna said. A look over my shoulder revealed her own eyes were roaming Seekvaira's body. "I believe it is best to move one step at a time, and there is more business to conduct today."

Seekvaira's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she returned her attention to me. "What business would that be?"

I held up a hand. "Before that…" The marriage contract appeared in a flash of fire. I unraveled it and ran a finger over the bottom, signing my name in fire next to Seekvaira's inked signature. I slid the contract across the table to Seekvaira.

Her eyes shone as if she'd just uncovered a long lost treasure as she reached forward to retrieve the contract. She looked at me in confusion and a small amount of worry as I grabbed her hand.

"I know this is a human tradition, but it feels appropriate." I said, a flame appearing in my other hand. The flame rose above my palm, swirling into a ring shape. The flaming ring slowly drifted towards Seekvaira's hand, carefully snaking around her left ring finger – close enough to be warm but not burn.

Seekvaira gasped as the flame condensed into a solid ring upon her finger. Yubelluna had her necklace, and now Seekvaira had a ring. Both were forged from my fire.

"Fair warning." I said, drawing Seekvaira's awed eyes away from the ring. "I can sense and feel my fire. So long as you wear that, I will always know where you are." I began to retract my hand, but Seekvaira latched onto it.

Her eyes bore holes into mine as her breathing grew more erratic. "I would very much like to kiss you right now, Riser."

I stood, still holding her hand, and slid around the table. "I think I would like that as well."

No sooner had the words left my mouth then Seekvaira had exploded out of her chair, slamming her lips into mine hungrily, her arms snaking around my back to press herself into me.

I hadn't expected the…ferocity, but I recovered well enough, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her back.

Suddenly, the entire manor rocked on its foundation, an explosion sounding from somewhere within its walls.

Seekvaira and I flew apart, our wings roaring from our back as we began scanning for our attackers. Yubelluna and Alivian took up defensive positions on either side of us, magic crackling around them.

Moments passed, but no one revealed themselves. Finally, Clarissa's voice spoke through magical stones from all around us.

"I apologize if the recent explosion worried anyone. I would like to assure everyone that we are not under attack. Ravel discovered a particularly volatile solution I was working on and accidentally activated it. I repeat, we are not under attack."

The four of us relaxed. I smiled when I heard a distant, "I was fucking asleep! I nearly blew a hole in the ceiling!" Kalawarner was rather…volatile immediately after waking.

Seekvaira chuckled as her wings retracted, straightening out her dress. "Ravel is your sister, correct? It will be nice to forge bonds with the Phenex family."

Yubelluna and I shared a knowing look, drawing a curious gaze from Seekvaira.

"What?" the heiress said, realizing she was missing something.

"It's funny that you'd mention bonds with the Phenex Family…"

X

Seekvaira sat resting her elbows on the table, gripping her chin in her hands as she stared down contemplatively. "This…we have an opportunity to drastically shift the balance of power among the Pillars. The Phenex Family has, historically, worked closely with the Baels, supplying them with Phenex Tears in exchange for various concessions."

"Concessions that have been steadily disappearing for some time now." Ruval said from where he sat across the table. "I've never been overly fond of Lord Bael. He expects worship for no reason other than his name, offering little to nothing in return. The Power of Destruction is the only thing that kept my parents in line. That's why they wanted Riser to marry Rias."

"But since Rias's Power of Destruction was defeated by a low-born devil with no connections, the fear of the Bael's power has begun to fade." Seekvaira said, her eyes calculating.

There were six of us in the room with three of us sitting at the table. When I first received this manor from Serafall, I'd worked with Clarissa to erect as many privacy wards around a single room as possible to create the closest thing possible to a war room. The six of us now plotted to uproot the foundation of the Pillars in that room.

As we'd brought Seekvaira and Alivian up to speed, several, further reaching consequences of our plan came to light – such as the impact it would have on the Bael's stranglehold that we were discussing now.

"We're going to be stepping on some very powerful, very unforgiving toes with this little stunt." Ruval said, leaning forward with a sigh.

"So we need to make more friends." I said, looking between Seekvaira and Ruval. "I don't think Serafall likes me enough to take our side against Lord Bael, but she probably likes me enough to not get involved. We need to make more allies among the Pillars. If we pull the Phenexes out of the Bael family's pocket, there's going to be a figurative riot."

"The Furcas Pillar will side with us should there be a confrontation." Seekvaira said immediately. "Bafeel's sister, Priseva, is a good friend of mine. Beluga, her brother, is in Sairaorg Bael's peerage, but Priseva is the heiress. Her power is greater than Beluga's."

"The Shax pillar will as well." Ruval said, looking over his shoulder and receiving a nod from Zissa. "Their political power has lessened as the years have passed, but their opinion of Lord Bael and Zekram Bael has lowered far more than their standing."

Seekvaira cringed at the mention of that name. "He will be a near-insurmountable obstacle. I imagine he could tear our entire plan apart without much effort. Too many Pillar Heads owe him favors or are little more than his lap dogs."

Zekram Bael, the first head of the Bael Pillar and father of its current lord. He was incredibly powerful – both politically and combat-wise. Those who didn't fear him worshiped him. I was terrified of him, even more so than Ruval or Seekvaira. I knew things about him that he didn't want anyone to know. Things we might be able to use against him…

"Potentially…" I said, drawing the attention of the room. "If I had an anonymous source with dirt on Zekram and his posse, would we be able to leverage it against him without him killing all of us before we could do anything?"

Ruval, Zissa and Yubelluna looked at me with varying degrees of shock and calculation. Seekvaira and Alivian merely looked confused.

"What would this 'anonymous source' be?" Seekvaira asked, looking at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

Meeting her eyes, I said, "I know you are serious in your intention to marry me, but if you use the escape clause in the contract and tell anyone this, I'll likely disappear and be dissected after having been brutally murdered. I need your and Alivian's word that what I'm about to tell you never leaves this room." I really wanted to trust her. I wouldn't have signed that contract if I thought she intended to stab me in the back, but my paranoia was winning out.

Now Seekvaira looked hungry, like she wanted to devour my secrets. "I swear on the Agares Pillar that I will keep your secrets."

I looked at Alivian.

The dragon bowed forward slightly and said, "I swear on my place as Seekvaira Agares's queen that your secrets will remain safe with me."

Taking a deep breath, I said, "I had visions a long time ago. I haven't had one for a while, but they let me see the past and various versions of the present and future."

Seekvaira's eyes widened. There was no pause for her to absorb the information before she said, "That is how you were able to locate three separate Longinus Class Sacred Gears. You likely know the location of even more. But how can you be certain which future you are in? No!" she exclaimed as I went to answer, a victorious smile on her face. "You don't know. Everything you act upon is a constant across all the futures you have seen. The holder of a Sacred Gear wouldn't change unless they were killed."

Ruval stared disbelievingly at Seekvaira before turning to me with a serious expression. "Don't ever lie to her about where you were last night. She will see right through you."

"Getting back on topic," I said, ignoring Ruval's brotherly advice. "I know some things that Zekram would kill me for knowing. I know this because he already has killed people to keep it quiet."

Seekvaira's expression was deadly serious as she said, "How great would it impact the Bael family's power?"

I took a deep breath, saying, "A lot. To give you the short version, he has been manipulating the Rating Game scene since its inception to lobby favors and make absurd amounts of money."

Ruval leaned forward, his gaze intense. "We'll need to be incredibly careful with how we approach this. Our little…scheme will infuriate a lot of people unless we handle things delicately. We can't act openly until we're ready." He turned to Seekvaira and said, "Act as if there are no deeper machinations. You are marrying Riser only because you love him. I'll kiss Lord Bael's ass to get him to support my ascension. Until we are ready, we pretend to be friends with the bastards." He turned to me with a guilty expression. "I'll have to pretend we had a falling out. If the Bael's think we still like each other…"

"It will make things incredibly difficult. They won't want to lose the borderline subservience of the Phenexes." I said, nodding. "But won't that cause issues unseating our parents?"

"Not necessarily." Seekvaira said, her eyes calculating. "I can dream up some grievances against them and get my parents to apply pressure. If Ruval plays his part well, Lord Bael will likely push them to make him lord in their stead. Even before their rash decision to banish you, their standing had fallen significantly. The only real allies who would fight on their side after scorning the Gremory Family are the Astaroth Family. The others would be pleased to see a new lord rise. Ruval's task will be even easier if you and I open that business venture I mentioned, Riser." she said, grinning at me. "If we sell Phenex Tears en masse at reduced prices while also selling items made with material from your Hellfire, something only you can do, the Phenex Family's power will drastically decline."

I sighed, leaning forward to rest my elbows on the table. "There are a lot of moving parts in this plan. I don't like how easily someone could dismantle it if they knew what we were up to."

"So we tell no one but those who must know." Zissa said from behind Ruval. "Our peerages and the applicable members of our families. If we spread the circle larger than that we run the risk of leaks."

I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me. "This is insane. We've actually made a semi-viable plan to take power from the oldest, most powerful family in Devil society."

"I wouldn't go that far, little brother." Ruval said cautiously. "We have a plan to solidify our own power without them reacting. Zekram's manipulation of the Rating Game scene is not enough to force the Baels out of power."

I sighed. "It's not so much that he's doing it. It's how he's doing it." I held up my hand and one of my unused rooks from my Evil Piece set appeared in it. "We're all familiar with these. What if I were to tell you there was a sixth piece that only a select few know about."

Ruval's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying there's a king piece? That's…hard to believe."

"I shouldn't need to say that none of this leaves this room, but I just said it anyway because none of this can leave this room. Zekram has killed Pillar Devils to keep this secret, so don't even talk about it when you leave here." I took a moment to look everyone in the eye, doing my best to stress the seriousness of what I was talking about. Once I was sure everyone was heeding my words, I said, "When Ajuka Beelzebub first made the Evil Pieces, he created a king piece as well. Only a small number were ever made because of how much they would have shifted the balance of power among the factions. If the Angels or Grigori ever got wind that the Devils had a method of elevating a low-born devil with no power or skill to Ultimate-Class, they would have banded together to exterminate us. Several other non-abrahamic factions may have joined in because of how much of a threat we would have been." I banished my rook, taking in the expressions of shock, forced calm and deep thought as I looked around the room. "Ajuka is no longer in possession of the pieces. Zekram Bael forced him to turn them over to him when the Great King Faction took control of the Rating Game scene. He's already used some of them to rig the Rating Games' top matches. I don't know how many of them he has left."

A silence so thick you could cut it with a knife descended upon the room.

"...Well, if nothing else, that is definitely enough for us to turn the Pillar structure against the Bael family." Ruval said, his voice strained. "I would prefer we never play that card. Working with the Bael's is far preferable to letting that out into the open."

I nodded. "I agree. Like I said, the consequences of this getting out are more far-reaching than just the Bael's stranglehold on the Pillar structure. If the other factions learn of it, we may be looking at an inter-pantheon arms race followed closely by a full scale war. I only really told you because I needed to make it clear just how dangerous Zekram is. I'd much rather us avoid pissing the Bael family off, but it will be somewhat inevitable that we will when we pull Ruval out from under their thumb. So long as we can work something out with them, I'd prefer we do that. Outright usurping them will cause far more trouble than it's worth."

"I agree." Seekvaira said. "While the Bael Family has done little to promote our people for quite some time, openly attacking another Pillar will set a dangerous precedent. We cannot afford to pave the way for opportunistic, short-sighted Pillar Heads in the future. While I would certainly be pleased if my family's power grew to be greater than that of the Baels, I refuse to jeopardize our race's already fragile unity."

"Seconded." Ruval said, the most serious I'd ever seen him. "Regardless of whatever backroom deals and manipulation Zekram is guilty of, we Devils are in the best position we have been in for centuries. Evil Pieces are allowing us to grow our numbers and Rating Games give us an excuse to gain combat experience in a way the other factions can't object to. We cannot risk that for political power." Ruval turned to me and nodded sharply. "Thank you, Riser. We were moving too far afield from our actual goal. You put things into perspective when I was too focused on how much I could benefit from becoming Lord Phenex."

"You're welcome." I said, somewhat relieved the more extreme aspects of the conversation had died. "I said that as much to remind myself of the consequences as anyone else. Our plan for uniting the Phenex, Dantalion and Agares families is solid, but we need to make sure we don't reach too far and risk destabilizing the Pillar structure."

Ruval took a deep breath and said, "You're right. Thinking with a clearer head, I think we should backtrack to a slightly altered version of Zissa's original plan. Riser publicly decries our parents by openly refusing to become a Phenex in place of marrying into the Agares Pillar and Seekvaira capitalizes by announcing the betrothal and beginning to sell Phenex Tears at an unprecedented rate. Pressure applied to my parents by your parents would also be welcome." Ruval said, shooting Seekvaira a pointed look. "As mother and father continue to lose face, I will present myself to all interested parties as a mediating force that will excel where my parents failed. I will also do my best to appease the Baels."

"I can agree to this plan." Sekvaira said. "I will meet with my parents to inform them of the…less sensitive details of this meeting to see if they are able to lend any support."

Looking around at everyone, I said, "Then we're done? We've agreed to keep things simple and refrain from kicking any hornets' nests?"

Ruval chuckled. "Yes, little brother. We have agreed not to 'kick hornets' nests'."

Seekvaira nodded and stood. "I look forward to seeing this venture through to the end. I imagine we will all be pleased with the outcome."

I stood and motioned to the door. "Since we're done, can I interest anyone in lunch? We can drag Ravel and Clarissa out of their lab so my new fiance can meet our sister." I said, looking questioningly at Ruval.

He stood with a smile. "Why not? I'm also interested in meeting your new knight if she isn't indisposed."

"Then follow me. I'll invite my peerage to join us."

The six of us filed out of the room and made our way to the dining room. Yubelluna stepped away to retrieve my peerage and Ravel. When she returned, Valerie was with them both. Apparently Clarissa had apparently continued teaching Valerie more varied magic. Judging by the way Ravel and Valerie were absorbed in conversation with one-another, they were getting along rather well.

The meal was more soup I didn't know the name of, something white with what looked like rosemary in the broth. It was really good. Ravel and Seekvaira hit it off well. My little sister was surprised that I was suddenly getting married, but she opened up to the idea rather quickly after she realized my fiance was the same woman I'd fought in my last Rating Game. Apparently Ravel was amazed by Seekvaira's 'thorough thrashing' of me and was using it as inspiration to get stronger.

Ruval spent the entire meal pestering Arondight and Valerie with questions. He wanted to know everything they were willing to share. While his peerage was impressive, he didn't have a Longinus wielder or a sentient sword that served Sir Lancelot for several decades. More than once, Ruval told me to treat both of them well. I wasn't sure if he thought they would ditch me or if he was just looking out for me, but Arondight and Valerie seemed to enjoy talking to him, so I simply thanked him for his advice and moved on.

Alivian and Clarissa sat next to each other and had a quiet conversation removed from the rest of us. I wasn't sure what they discussed, but they seemed to enjoy each other's company.

Kalawarner split her time between listening to Ravel and Seekvaira's conversation – judging by how she sat protectively next to Ravel, she'd taken a liking to my manipulative little sister – and talking to Zissa, comparing strategies on how to combat devils. I wasn't sure if the conversation was purely hypothetical or if Kalawarner was actively developing strategies to use in our next Rating Game. Judging by the way she was idly tapping the new sword sheathed at her hip, my best guess was her discussion was purely practical.

A few hours after we'd sat down, everyone had finished their meal and we'd moved into a sitting room down the hall from the dining room.

Ruval and Zissa sat together on a sofa. Ravel and Clarissa had disappeared again, having likely returned to Clarissa's lab so Ravel could light more volatile substances on fire. She reminded me a little too much of myself at times. Kalawarner was gone as well. I assumed she was with Ravel and Clarissa. Arondight and Valerie stayed with us, taking seats on either side of Yubelluna. Seekvaira and I sat next to each other. We were a respectable distance apart, but it would have felt weird to treat her like a stranger since we were now betrothed. Alivian, after much prodding to forget decorum, had fallen into a seat on the other side of Seekvaira.

"Thank you for hosting us, Riser." Seekvaira said, smiling warmly at me. "I enjoyed myself. When I return home, I will discuss the particulars of the contract and our…other business with my parents."

"Thank you for staying for lunch." I said, returning her smile. "Feel free to come over any time." I raised a hand, and a dull orange glow fell across her. "You're keyed to the wards now."

Seekvaira's smile shone as bright as a diamond as she said, "I will. Thank you, Riser."

"Aww."

Seekvaira and I both looked at Ruval. My brother had both of his hands clasped together and pressed up against the side of his face. He puffed his lips out and said, "You two are adorable."

I sighed and turned to open my mouth when I was attacked.

"Flaming Chicken-chan!" a scantily-clad magical girl exclaimed, appearing from nowhere to tackle me out of my chair. "I've missed you!"

"Levi-tan," I said, my voice drier than a desert. "Would you kindly let me up?"

"Nope!" the Satan said, her arms tightening around me.

"Levi-tan, I have guests." I said, my arms straight at my sides as I stared into the ceiling over Serafall's shoulder, waiting for her to decide to release me.

"Guests?" Serafall hopped to her feet, taking in the other occupants of the room.

Ruval was staring at the Leviathan with uncomprehending eyes, his head tilted slightly to the side as he tried to see through whatever illusion he had convinced himself was in front of him. Zissa's mouth opened and closed like a fish as she tried to get words into the air, but no sound left her mouth. Alivian hadn't moved a muscle. Valerie spared a quick glance at the Satan before turning around and continuing her conversation with…no one? She must have been seeing dead people. Arondight stood and bowed towards Serafall, completely ignoring the Leviathan's stripper garb. Yubelluna was speaking in a hushed voice to Seekvaira, gently holding Seekvaira's arm. The heiress was no longer seated; her hands were held in front of her, white from the force of her grip.

"A party!" Serafall said with shining eyes, turning to pout at me. "Why didn't you invite me?"

I pulled myself to my feet, brushing some chair shards off my shoulder and making a mental note to have the chair I was sitting in replaced. It was a little concerning that I was getting used to Serafall randomly appearing and attacking me like this. Then again, there wasn't much I could do about it without moving. "The next time I throw a party, I'll be sure to invite you. Now what can I help you with? I would assume you need me for something if you're here."

"Oh, right!" she said, spinning around on one foot to face me, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward. "You need to go back to Kuoh Town. There's some…stuff and things happening."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Stuff and things? That sounds serious."

Serafall bobbed her head up and down. "Yep. So…sorry, but you all need to…" Serafall trailed off, having spun around to address my house guests. Her eyes had drifted towards a hard-eyed Seekvaira and panned down to Yubhelluna's hand on her arm, catching something else in her eye line. Serafall walked forward and grabbed Seekvaira's left wrist, gently raising Seekvaira's arm to her eye level. "Well, well…" Serafall said, looking over her shoulder at me with a coy grin. "And here I thought you were spoken for, Flaming Chicken-chan. You'll break poor Yubelluna's heart!" Serafall released Seekvaira and leapt towards Yubelluna, pulling her into a hug before my queen could react. "Don't worry, Explosion-chan, I'll love you! I can get you a magical girl costume, and we can vanquish evil together! We'll-"

"Respectfully, Lady Leviathan," Yubelluna said, her arms locked to her sides as Serafall squeezed her. "I intend to marry Riser. Would you please release me?"

Serafall let go of Yubelluna and spun around to face me, wiggling her eyebrows. "Two wives? Kinky."

"Okay! Zissa and I are leaving." Ruval said, grabbing his queen by the hand and dragging her behind him. "I'm going to grab Ravel and go home. I need time to process this situation." The two of them disappeared down a hallway.

"Your brother seems nice." Serafall idly commented, looking down the hallway Ruval had fled. "Anywho, things and stuff!" She skipped over to me and slung an arm over my shoulder, facing Yubelluna and Seekvaira. "I'm borrowing your fiance for a bit. See ya!"

Yubelluna and Seekvaira's eyes widened in unison as a teleportation circle extended out from Serafall. They were so shocked neither of them said anything during the surprisingly short time it took Serafall to cast the spell. She was extremely powerful. It made sense she would be able to teleport faster than I could.

With a flash of cold-blue light, the two of us appeared in a room I'd been in before.

"Why'd you bring me to your office?" I said, looking around. Not much had changed since the last time I'd been in the room. The only change was the addition of a small, red couch off to the side of Serafall's desk.

"I need to talk to you without anyone listening in, and this place has some of the best privacy wards ever designed protecting it from eavesdroppers." Serafall said, swinging her leg up as she fell onto her back, lying back on her new couch. "Do you want to cuddle?" she said, reaching towards me with her arms.

I took several steps back and sat in the furthest chair from her. "Thank you for the offer, but I imagine Yubelluna and Seekvaira would be angry with me if I took you up on your offer."

Serafall retracted her hands and crossed them beneath her head. "Suit yourself." She shuffled around, burrowing into the couch.

"So you needed to talk to me without anyone listening in?" I prompted when it became clear Serafall wasn't speaking.

"Yep." she said, tilting her head over to look at me. "I need you to go to Kuoh Town again."

"You said that already. Would you mind telling me why I need to go there?"

A heavy sigh escaped the Satan as she turned to stare at the ceiling. "We received an anonymous tip from the Grigori. By 'anonymous', I of course mean Azazel told us straight up but can't be connected to the exchange of information. He's found a lot of rats in his organization since we set him digging for information after you captured Kalawarner. Some of them were high ranking enough that he's reevaluating his inner circle."

"Kokabiel?"

Serafall sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the couch and leaning her elbows against her knees. "Kokabiel. Azazel still hasn't found everyone who was willingly working with the traitor, but he said one of the idiots Kokabiel played like he did Kalawarner told him something big was going to go down in Kuoh Town soon. He didn't have a lot of details, but I was hoping you could fill me in on what you think it might be. Did you see anything that could account for a major operation like this?" She looked at me expectantly.

"The most obvious thing that comes to mind is when Kokabiel personally attacks Kuoh Town. It has happened in almost every future I've seen."

Serafall's eyes narrowed. "That's where he kills Sona."

I nodded. "Sometimes. If the force arrayed against him isn't strong enough to fight back, they lose badly."

"Tell me everything you can." Serafall ordered, her expression one of deep thought.

"Okay, I'm going to stick to things that are fairly constant because we've rocked the boat enough that anything else will be useless." At an accepting nod from Serafall, I continued, saying, "Kokabiel, or someone working with him, lures several Excalibur fragments to Kuoh Town. The church sends some exorcists to retrieve them that Kokabiel plans to kill, along with Rias and Sona," Serafall twitched dangerously when I said that. "In order to start another war. A maniac evil scientist with a blade fetish shows up and turns the Excalibur fragments into an abomination and uses them against Kokabiel's enemies. Come to think of it, did Sona mention seeing a white-haired, powerful exorcist at the church? He should have been there." I hadn't seen Freed at the church, but I hadn't entered the church, and I did leave quickly.

Serafall shook her head. "No. She said there were no survivors, so he is either dead with the rest or must not have been there. I'll warn her to keep an eye out." She sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. "Your vision is matching up with what Azazel told me a scary amount. He said at least two Excalibur fragments were involved and that Kokabiel was preaching about Fallen supremacy. The church also contacted us today about sending a delegation into Kuoh Town. Kokabiel should be in hiding though. With both my agents and Azazel's agents looking for him, he wouldn't risk a direct confrontation like this. Honestly, that might be worse."

"Because we'll be going in blind." I said, nodding. This very concern had always been a risk of using my future knowledge. It was the main thing that kept me from actually utilizing it until I literally had no other option. Knowledge was power, and I now lacked one of my most useful sources of knowledge.

"Do you know of any other allies he might have?" Serafall asked, there was almost a hint of desperation in her eyes. I'd never seen her like this.

"No. From what I know of him, he's a Fallen Angel radicalist and thinks any other species is akin to dirt. He probably wouldn't work with anyone other than a Fallen Angel, but if he's desperate his pride might go out the window."

"So all we can do is guess." Serafall said, summing things up rather well.

"I wish I could give you a definite answer here, but even the small alterations I've made have rendered almost all of my visions obsolete. I can only act on certainties now."

Serafall stood up and began to nervously pace the space in front of the couch, her eyes focused on the ground beneath her. "Sona needs backup. Rias…Rias has never been overly interested in training and ever since you beat her in the Rating Game she's somehow become less motivated. All she cares about is her image in the Underworld. Sona has been training for a long time, but she only wants to get stronger so she'll be taken seriously by the Pillars. She isn't strong enough to fight Kokabiel, and until I know otherwise, I'm assuming the enemy is at least as strong as Kokabiel." Serafall stopped pacing and walked towards me, the pleading expression on her face at complete odds with the skimpy magical girl apparel she still wore. "I need you to take your peerage and support Sona. I saw your last Rating Game. You've been holding back drastically. Just you will make up for Rias's incompetence – to say nothing of Arondight, Valerie and the others."

Sighing, I rubbed my head. I really didn't want to have to fight someone as strong as Kokabiel if I could avoid it. "Why don't you just recall Sona? She'll probably be upset, but upset is better than dead."

"I can't." Serafall stressed, conflict evident on her face. "I want to get her out of there more than you know, but if I do that, the church will take it as an invitation to attack us. The sister of a Satan fleeing from a meeting after the church followed all established protocol and announced their arrival in Devil territory? I may as well be dropping a powder keg under Kokabiel while he's holding a match. If things devolve into a war, they'll be even worse. I've lived through a supernatural war, which is why I know Sona wouldn't – she isn't strong enough yet and would be a prime target because hurting her would hurt me. This needs to not become a war."

"Okay, I get that logic, but why me? Yes. I'm strong. I am not strong enough to stand on even ground with Kokabiel. Can't you send someone with a bigger stick?"

Serafall collapsed into the chair across from me, her arms dangling over the armrests. "Believe me, I would if I could, but I'm walking on a political tightrope that's in the eye of a shifting hurricane. I can't send any known warriors or it'll piss off the church. I can't send any Pillar Devils or it will piss off the Yokai. I can't send anyone from my peerage or I'll be breaking treaties with the Shinto Gods. And I can't go myself because I'll have all but started the war for Kokabiel. A Satan can't knowingly involve themselves in 'minor' matters like this. Otherwise, Zeus and Odin would personally handle border disputes. There wouldn't be a world left over if the top brass did everything themselves. That's why I need you. Until someone else starts something, I can't do anything. I need a devil who is strong, doesn't belong to a Pillar and knows what he's getting into. You are by far the best choice."

I took a deep breath and shifted in my seat so I could lean forward onto my elbows. "So if I agreed to go, I would only have to wait for Kokabiel's mooks to start a fight, then I could call you to send in the cavalry?"

"Yes." Serafall said, holding my gaze. "I already have a group put together. The only person you'd know in it is Ingvild, but you know enough about her to realize how seriously I'm taking this. I'll give you a way to contact me directly in case you can't teleport back for whatever reason. The moment someone acts against you, call me and I'll take care of it."

She was asking me to risk a lot here, but when I thought it through, I didn't really have a choice. Seekvaira, Ruval and I had all just made a pro/con list about another Great War. The consensus was no. If I didn't do anything here, there was a good chance things would devolve into fighting. As the changes to the timeline told, events weren't scripted anymore. Actions were governed by thinking, learning beings that were actively trying to eradicate all life on the planet for whatever unjustifiable reasons they told themselves. I needed to do this.

Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. "You'd better be paying me really well for this."

Serafall's face lit up and she leapt across the gap between us to hug me. "Thank you! Oh!" She popped back up to her feet, releasing me just as quickly as she'd grabbed me. "That reminds me."

I watched curiously as Serafall walked around her desk, opening one of the drawers and removing something. I studied the thing in her hand as she held it up.

It was a lump of darkness. What appeared to be smoke the color of the space between stars rose away from the lump in wisps, disappearing when it moved too far from the source.

"What is that?" I said, having no idea what Serafall was holding.

Serafall grinned at my suspicious expression. "Some might say that Kalawarner was your payment for your help with Sona last time, but I don't like to think of it like that. I gave her to you because I thought you'd fit together, and I was right. This," she lifted her hand higher for emphasis. "Is your reward for helping my sister."

"Again, what is that?"

Serafall chuckled. "Come on, Flaming Chicken-chan. You're smart. What would I be giving you after you gave me a Sacred Gear Extractor?"

My eyes widened as they locked on the supernatural lump in Serafall's hand. "Is that…?"

"Yep." she said, a pleased smile on her face. "Night Reflection to be specific. The previous user…Let's just say she was an evil bitch and leave it at that. Now, I don't know if you want to take this for yourself or give it to someone in your peerage, but it's up to you." She walked around her desk and dropped the lump of shadows into my hand. It felt surprisingly comforting, like a more fluid silk. "Do a good job with this Kokabiel mess, and I might be willing to give you something else that's really cool. You need to be there by nine-o'clock tomorrow."

"How do I…" I motioned towards the lump of shadows in my hand.

Serafall shrugged. "Ajuka said to drop it into the shadow of whoever you plan to give it to. If there's any problem with binding it to whoever you plan to give it to, blame him."

I stood from my chair, still focused on the shadows in my hand. "Thank you. How do I call you to send in the cavalry?" I asked absentmindedly, already having decided what to do with the Sacred Gear.

"Ah, that. Thanks for reminding me." Serafall walked up to me and took my right hand – the hand that wasn't holding Night Reflection. She turned it over and summoned a spell circle over the back of my hand. Her spell circle rapidly shrunk, and I felt a minor pressure as the circle seared itself onto the back of my hand.

"When the real fighting starts, channel magic into that circle. It'll shatter and let me know everything has started." She fixed me with a serious gaze. "If you can't fight whatever comes against you, take Sona and run. I don't care about Kuoh Town, but I will not allow my sister to die."

I nodded. "Understood. I'll get Sona and get out if it's too much."

Serafall gave me an encouraging nod. "Good luck." She flicked me on the forehead and my surroundings were suddenly different. I was standing exactly where she'd kidnapped me from in my manor. I'd just been subject to whatever method she used to break into my house, and I still didn't know what it was.

A quick look around the room showed me that no one was present. I wasn't sure where everyone went, but they were likely recovering from Serafall's visit in one way or another.

I sent a quick ping through the wards, receiving an answering ping immediately after from Yubelluna. I walked towards the front door. That was the most likely place she'd go to meet me.

When I arrived in the entry hall, I found a large gathering of people. Ruval, Ravel and Zissa were nowhere to be seen, they'd likely gone back to the Phenex Estate as Ruval had said when Serafall barged in, but my entire peerage as well as Seekvaira and Alivian were anxiously milling about in front of the door. Valerie noticed me first.

"You escaped! Did she force you to wear magical girl clothes?"

I looked down at the dhampir with a tilted head as I said, "Did she force you to wear magical girl clothes?"

Valerie shrugged. "She tried to. We got into an argument about whether or not cups were magic."

As I was processing the fact that Serafall Leviathan had apparently had an argument with an emotionally abused Longinus wielder over whether a dish constituted a magical girl, Yubelluna gently pushed past Valerie and fixed me with a serious gaze.

"What did the Leviathan need, my king? And…what is that?" she finished, her eyes drifting to the smoking shadow in my hand.

"She gave us a new job. And this," I hefted my hand. "Is payment for services rendered."

I looked past her and found the intrigued eyes of Seekvaira. "This is another revelation I'd ask you to keep to yourself. The Grigori have a way to extract Sacred Gears that the Devils are now in possession of as well. That was what we were doing when we went to Kuoh Town originally on Serafall's orders." Turning back to Yubelluna, I said, "More on the job in a moment." I walked past her and gently maneuvered through my peerage, coming to a stop in front of Clarissa. "Clarissa, I've never really said thank you for everything you've done for me."

The witch seemed taken aback. She offered me a shallow bow and said, "Your thanks are unnecessary, my king. It is my pleasure to serve."

"Even so, thank you." I stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug, being careful not to drop the shadow in my hand.

Clarissa went stiff as my arms wrapped around her. Gingerly as if she was afraid I would crumble at her touch, she returned the hug.

I stepped back and said, "You're strong, Clarissa. You have a lot of versatility that is incredibly useful to us, but you don't have any great means of inflicting damage or protecting yourself. That is a glaring weakness."

Clarissa inhaled sharply, her eyes flying wide in fear. She opened her mouth and spoke, her words flying out of her mouth. "My king, I swear to you that I will–"

"Okay, stop!" I said, holding up my free hand. "That was not an admonishment. I am not displeased with you in any way, shape or form. I was merely making an observation. You do not have any great means of offense, and your best defensive spells are rudimentary shields. I have a solution to both of those problems."

Clarissa took a moment to control her breathing, taking two deep breaths before falling back into the picture of perfect decorum. "What may that be, my king?"

I lifted the pooling shadow in my hand. "Ajuka Beelzebub was able to crack how to use the Sacred Gear Extractor. Serafall gave me a Night Reflection for our part in capturing the extractor. I want you to take it."

Clarissa's eyes widened again, this time in shock. "Riser, I cannot accept this. You should take the Gear for yourself."

I chuckled. "I have Hellfire and Immortality, both of which trump everything this Sacred Gear can do. Add on the fact that I also have Wind and this thing would be wasted on me. Accept the gift, Clarissa. If nothing else, take it so you'll be a more effective part of the team."

Clarissa's breathing had grown faster. She looked around at each member of my peerage, seemingly looking to see if anyone else wanted the Sacred Gear.

Yubelluna and Valerie looked at her with matching smiles. Arondight gave her a controlled, purposeful nod. Kalawarner was the only one to speak.

The former Fallen looked Clarissa up and down and said, "I was already scared of you. This is going to make you terrifying." An eager grin spread across her face. "I like it."

Clarissa turned back to me, the faintest touch of moisture beginning to pool in the corner of her eye. "Riser, I…Thank you."

I smiled at her and said, "You're welcome. Now, be warned, I have no idea what this is going to feel like, so brace for a bit of discomfort and pain." I reached around behind her and dropped the Sacred Gear directly onto Clarissa's shadow.

The shadowy molasses plopped down on the ground like a sandbag, holding its shape for a breath before unraveling into Clarissa's shadow.

"Uh-" Clarissa exhaled, staggering backwards.

"Clarissa!" I exclaimed, rushing up to her and checking her over. I didn't see anything wrong, but obviously something was happening to her.

"I…I feel…" Darkness rose up around Clarissa's form. She began to tremble, thin tendrils of shadow slowly drifting off her body to sway in unison with her shaking.

"Valerie see if–" my words were cut off as Clarissa screamed.

The witch's wings exploded out of her back as she threw her head back to the sky. More and more shadowy tendrils spilled off of her and began to swim around the hall, forcing us all to step back lest they crash into us. A surge of unholy power pulsed from Clarissa's chest; a dull, red glow shone from within her breast. The tendrils began to retract, disappearing into the dark shadows of Clarissa's cloak. Clarissa was breathing heavily. She was opening and closing her hands, her eyes looking on in awe as her muscles contracted.

"Clarissa?" I said, taking a hesitant step forward as the final tendril was absorbed by the darkness of her hood.

Her eyes rose to mine, and I saw a euphoric smile on her face. "I…I feel powerful."

"I don't believe it." a breathless voice said.

I spared a glance at Seekvaira. She and Alivian had witnessed the event. The heiress was staring slack-jawed at Clarissa with an expression of pure astonishment on her face.

"Seekvaira? What is it?"

Seekvaira shook her head, snapping herself out of her stupor. She looked at me and said, "I have read it is possible for Evil Pieces to evolve when their bearer undergoes a significant change, but I hadn't truly believed it." Her eyes moved back to Clarissa, focusing on the fading glow emanating from her chest. "Her bishop piece just became a mutation bishop."

Her bishop had mutated? What did that mean? Would her magic grow stronger or was it just an aesthetic change to the piece itself?

"Clarissa, I don't know what this means for you, but we're likely going into an extremely dangerous fight. If you need time to adjust…"

"I am ready, my king." Clarissa said, standing tall. She held up a hand and shadows bled out from under the sleeve of her cloak down her arm. "You have given me an unparalleled gift. I intend to use it."

I focused on her muscles and breathing. Where before she was tense and breathless, she appeared calm and in control. "If you have any problems, let me or Yubelluna know immediately. I don't want you to get hurt because we didn't foresee a complication."

"I will be sure to assess myself constantly, Riser. I will be fine." The shadows snaked back down her arm.

I nodded, then turned to face my peerage as a whole. "Now that that's over with, everyone make whatever preparations you need to. We'll be heading into Kuoh Town early tomorrow morning to meet Sona Sitri's peerage. We're expecting a fight, so prepare accordingly."

"Do we know the strength of our foe?" Arondight said, her hand resting on Hrotti's hilt.

I shook my head. "I wish I could say we did, but we could be facing anything from another group like the one Kalawarner was with, to a high-ranking Fallen."

"Kokabiel." Kalawarner said with hard eyes. "He made his move." Her fists tightened into balls, her shoulders rising and falling as she controlled her rage.

"Yes." I said, meeting Kalawarner's eyes. "If he does show up personally, know that our primary job is to protect the Sitri heiress. After that our priority is to stop a war between the factions. If we need to kill Kokabiel to accomplish either of those objectives we will do what we can to eliminate him, but I cannot let you come if I don't know you will let Kokabiel go if the situation demands it."

Kalawarner took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and seemed to count to three. Her shoulders sagged with her exhale, tension bleeding out of her body. "I will follow your commands, Riser. Whatever they may be."

"Good." I said with a nod, turning back to the rest of the group. "Serafall can't help us without violating a large number of agreements with other factions, so we're on our own until we get attacked. After that," I held up the back of my right hand to my peerage, showing them the spell Serafall had inscribed on it. "We'll be able to call in some backup. We just need to hold out until they arrive."

"When are you departing for Kuoh Town?" Seekvaira said from behind me. I turned to face her just as she said, "I do not know of this Kokabiel, but if he is high in the Grigori's command structure he will be immensely powerful. I and my peerage will assist you. Simply tell us where and when to meet you."

I took a deep breath, rubbing my fingers against my forehead. "I would love the extra support, but Serafall was pretty clear that we can't be sending any other Pillar devils to Kuoh Town unless someone else starts something first. That's why she's sending me. I'm not technically affiliated with any Pillars until our betrothal is announced, but I'm still strong enough to get her sister out…And to protect the Devil's interests." I added as an afterthought. I wasn't sure Serafall would be okay with me being so open about her willingness to let everything else burn to get Sona out alive.

Seekvaira's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you suggesting I stand by and do nothing as my fiance faces such a dangerous threat?"

I cringed internally at the look she was shooting me, but I held my ground. "Seekvaira, I would honestly like for you to come with us. We've all seen how strong you and your peerage are, and I would much rather have you at my back than Rias, but Serafall was very specific. This is her sister we're talking about. She's already bending the rules as much as she can to get me in Kuoh Town. If you came with me it might start a war, and neither of us want that."

Seekvaira exhaled through her nose, her eyes searching mine. "Very well. I will not go with you to Kuoh to meet the exorcists."

I let out a short, relieved breath. "Thank you. The moment we get back, I'll come to the Agares Estate to let you know how things went personally."

"Then I will see you later, Riser. Alivian? Let us go." She spun around abruptly, her queen stepping next to her as a teleportation circle whisked them away.

"I get the sense she's upset with me." I said, looking into the space they had just vanished from.

"She is not upset with you, my king." Yubelluna said, stepping up next to me. "She is merely…frustrated with the situation."

"I hope so. This betrothal won't last long if I've already managed to piss her off. I don't think I'll be able to spend eternity with someone I have to walk on eggshells around." If this was enough for Seekvaira to get pissed at me, I seriously needed to reevaluate my stance on our marriage. I needed to think about it when there weren't other, far more pressing concerns to worry about. "Everyone get some rest and be ready to leave at six A.M." I said, turning back to my peerage. "We'll be meeting Sona at nine, but I want a chance to take a look around the area before we meet with her."

My peerage nodded and dispersed to commence with their individual preparations. I was really hoping this fight wouldn't turn into the epic-level brawl it was in canon, but I'd prepare for the worst. My peerage was behind me. All there was to do now was go to Kuoh.

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A.N.

I've been getting a lot of reviews of people genuinely pissed off at me for...some reason. If you don't like this, don't read it. Does the story have issues? Of course it does. I'm an inexperienced writer trying to gain some experience. That doesn't mean I'm going to lay down like a doormat and take all this BS. I'm not making any money illegally like a lot of fanfic authors. This is something I am doing for free. The only one incurring any cost is me with the hours I spend writing this. I'm honestly beginning to wonder why I'm even wasting my time on this story when I could be starting other stuff on Royal Road. If you are seriously so offended of my writing that you feel the need to tell me to delete the story because you feel cheated by my, "unearned favorites", then write your own story and do whatever the hell you want with it. I genuinely hope people are more kind to you in your reviews than you are to me in mine.

Thanks for reading.